Housing Innovation Competition solicits proposals for pilot initiative

Boston — The Boston Society of Architects/AIA (BSA), in partnership with The City of Boston’s Department of Neighborhood Development (DND), the Mayor’s Housing Innovation Lab, and the Garrison Trotter Neighborhood Association (GTNA), will be soliciting proposals for a City of Boston pilot initiative on five city-owned vacant land parcels in the Garrison Trotter neighborhood.

The properties associated with the Housing Innovation Competition are 71 and 73 Holworthy Street, 29 and 31 Hollander Street, and 24 Westminster Avenue. The proposals will be solicited through a competitive, transparent Request for Proposal (RFP) process.

Goals of this initiative include testing reduced costs to build; creating market driven, attractive and livable compact homes; and promoting a diverse resident income mix, including affordable workforce and market rate housing. Well-designed units with smaller footprints can offer residents an affordable option to renting or owning closer to the city center and transit-oriented areas.

Teams of architects and developers are asked to submit entries that utilize creative design solutions that meet the community’s aspirational goals in compact units.

“This competition provides an opportunity to stimulate the architect, contractor, and developer communities to collaborate on the creation of lower-cost prototype dwellings that may solve fundamental housing needs throughout Boston,” said Tamara Roy AIA, 2016 Boston Society of Architects/AIA president.

Proposals for the Housing Innovation Competition are due Monday, December 19, 2016. An information session will be held at BSA Space from 3:30-5:30 pm on Thursday, November 10, 2016 at BSA Space.

Read the RFP at www.boston.gov/housing/housing-innovation-competition.